Why I Created this Website

I was always a shy child – always seemed to be on my own at school and the quietest person in class. Suffice to say, my years at secondary school werent the happiest period of my life.

It was only after entering into adulthood that my social anxiety started to become a more serious problem.

Eventually I reached a crossroads where I could either continue feeling isolated, and subconsciously threatened by other people, or do something about it. I could see where life was heading if I didn’t – and it didn’t look good.

So I want to see my doctor to see what they could suggest and was prescribed propranolol (a beta blocker mainly used to treat hypertension) to ‘calm me down’. Whilst propranolol did calm my nerves (slightly) it wasnt doing anything to counter the negative thoughts that kept hammering away at me whenever I was out in public.

So I decided to do some research of my own. After getting past all the websites promising miracle cures in pill form, I discovered that I wasn’t alone in suffering from nerves in social situations and that it was a recognized condition which could be treated with therapy and being able to change the negative thoughts that caused anxiety.

I then bought a few books on cognitive behavioral therapy and started to practice all the strategies they advised for changing the way I thought about things. I also made a few lifestyle changes (exercising and being more active rather then being slumped in front of the TV feeling miserable) to help raise my self confidence.

Improvement didnt happen overnight. But as I continued practicing cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, I gradually found thinking more positively became a more natural part of the way my mind worked. This in turn reduced the physical symptoms and made leaving the house a less worrying prospect.

Whilst I cant say I’m suddenly ‘cured’ (whether you ever can be) I now have a much healthier outlook on life and feel much more confident in the way I approach social situations. Social phobia now doesn’t stop me going where I want and doing what I want to do. The thoughts are sometimes still there, but now I can just ignore them because I know they’re inaccurate and unhelpful.

I wrote my eBook to provide other people suffering from social anxiety with a guide to understanding their problem, what causes it and the strategies they can use to overcome it. They worked for me, so hopefully they’ll work for other people too and help them feel more confident, happy and relaxed in social situations.

Matt suffered from social phobia throughout his teenage years right up to his mid twenties. It wasn't until visiting a doctor for help to treat his anxiety that he finally discovered he suffered from the condition. He then set about learning everything he could about it and how to overcome it. This led to him creating this website to share the strategies that helped him in the hope they would help other people.

1 Comment

I am 19 and was diagnosed 6ish months ago with Social Phobia… I’ve been searching for ages for a decent website or forum to use to help me to understand my phobia and prehaps not feel so alone and freakish etc Praise Matt for this site! It is absolutely brilliant, I can totally relate and it is so much more easier to understand. I am finally on the waiting list for CBT so hopefully I will pull through and gain the confidence I desire and knock my Social Phobia right out of touch. Thank you Matt for sharing your experience and tips. Kindest Regards.

By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. *

Disclaimer

The information on this website is purely based on my own research into social anxiety and is not a replacement for professional medical advice. If social anxiety or depression are adversely affecting your life then you should consult your doctor or another medical professional.